The Ring of Five by Eoin McNamee Page B
Authors: Eoin McNamee
Tags: Fiction, General, All Ages, Children's Books, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Espionage, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, True Crime, Children: Grades 4-6, School & Education, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Schools, Men, spies, Boys & Men, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories, Boys, Juvenile Mysteries
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television. He looked a little shaken, and announced briefly that they had the rest of the afternoon off. There was a cheer from the cadets.
"Brilliant," Les said, "that means that we can get you settled into the Roosts."
Danny wasn't sure he liked the idea of a Roost. It sounded cold and drafty. But I won't be in it for all that long, he thought.
They filed out of Ravensdale after a particularly satisfying apple pie and custard. Danny noticed that many of the other cadets would not meet his eye, or edged away from him. And a few times he thought he heard the word "Cherb" behind him.
"Don't worry about them," Dixie said cheerfully. "They wouldn't know a Cherb if one ... fell on them, or something."
Danny felt someone plucking at his elbow. It was Brunholm.
"Are you all right?" he asked hoarsely. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay," Danny said.
"Are you sure, boy?" Brunholm demanded. "McGuinness wants to launch a formal inquiry. A mountain of paperwork and him poking his nose
65
everywhere. Are you sure it wasn't an accident? Wilsons is very old. Bits fall off every so often. That's it, I'm sure. Yes, you can tell McGuinness it was an accident."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Danny said, politely but firmly. "Mr. McGuinness was there and he saw what happened."
Something gleamed deep in Brunholm's eyes for a second, something that made a chill run down Danny's spine. Then he let go of Danny's sleeve.
"Yes, yes, of course," he murmured distractedly, "things must take their course. Very proper of you." He walked away from them, seemingly deep in thought.
66
THE GALLERY OF WHISPERS
Danny followed his new friends to the Roosts, his mind racing. "Curtains for your world," Les had said. But even if it was true, it didn't give Wilsons the right to kidnap and drug Danny.
They turned the corner of the main building and walked across a smooth lawn.
"Here we go," Les said. "The Roosts."
Danny looked up in surprise. The Roosts were two large wooden buildings, each with a crooked chimney and weathered carvings on their corners and eaves. The carvings looked very old, and seemed to depict all sorts of shadowy creatures. But that wasn't what was so surprising about the Roosts. The buildings stood on slender iron legs, intricately wrought with flowers and leaves. Danny reckoned that they must be fifty or sixty feet off the
67
ground. The buildings were joined only by a tangle of wires and pipes at the back, and a balcony at the front. An iron bridge ran from the Roosts across to Wilsons's main building. Two metal staircases soared upward, if they could be called staircases, for they were incredibly light and springy, and when Les grabbed the handrail, the whole thing flexed and bounced. Paying no attention to this, Les ascended at great speed. Dixie followed him. With a nervous glance up, Danny followed, trying not to look down, keeping his eyes fixed on the top of the stairs.
Despite the fact that the cadets' weight made the staircase writhe like a snake as they climbed, it felt more secure than it looked, but Danny was still glad to reach the top. He steadied himself against the rail and looked down. It was a long way to the ground.
"The Roosts used to be quarters for the Messengers," Vandra explained, "before they stopped flying."
Les opened the wooden door and Danny followed them in. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. On either side of the Roosts were rows of beds separated by wooden dividers, so that each bunk was almost in its own room. A large black stove glowed in the middle, surrounded by armchairs and an overstuffed sofa. "This is yours here," Les said, pointing to one of the beds. "You're down our end of the hut. Smyck's lot have the other end, so you're better off here."
"The other hut's for the girls," Dixie said. "Kind of cozy, don't you think?"
Danny sat down on his bed, noticing that his suitcase was already under it. For some reason that he could not
68
explain, the place already felt
"Brilliant," Les said, "that means that we can get you settled into the Roosts."
Danny wasn't sure he liked the idea of a Roost. It sounded cold and drafty. But I won't be in it for all that long, he thought.
They filed out of Ravensdale after a particularly satisfying apple pie and custard. Danny noticed that many of the other cadets would not meet his eye, or edged away from him. And a few times he thought he heard the word "Cherb" behind him.
"Don't worry about them," Dixie said cheerfully. "They wouldn't know a Cherb if one ... fell on them, or something."
Danny felt someone plucking at his elbow. It was Brunholm.
"Are you all right?" he asked hoarsely. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay," Danny said.
"Are you sure, boy?" Brunholm demanded. "McGuinness wants to launch a formal inquiry. A mountain of paperwork and him poking his nose
65
everywhere. Are you sure it wasn't an accident? Wilsons is very old. Bits fall off every so often. That's it, I'm sure. Yes, you can tell McGuinness it was an accident."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Danny said, politely but firmly. "Mr. McGuinness was there and he saw what happened."
Something gleamed deep in Brunholm's eyes for a second, something that made a chill run down Danny's spine. Then he let go of Danny's sleeve.
"Yes, yes, of course," he murmured distractedly, "things must take their course. Very proper of you." He walked away from them, seemingly deep in thought.
66
THE GALLERY OF WHISPERS
Danny followed his new friends to the Roosts, his mind racing. "Curtains for your world," Les had said. But even if it was true, it didn't give Wilsons the right to kidnap and drug Danny.
They turned the corner of the main building and walked across a smooth lawn.
"Here we go," Les said. "The Roosts."
Danny looked up in surprise. The Roosts were two large wooden buildings, each with a crooked chimney and weathered carvings on their corners and eaves. The carvings looked very old, and seemed to depict all sorts of shadowy creatures. But that wasn't what was so surprising about the Roosts. The buildings stood on slender iron legs, intricately wrought with flowers and leaves. Danny reckoned that they must be fifty or sixty feet off the
67
ground. The buildings were joined only by a tangle of wires and pipes at the back, and a balcony at the front. An iron bridge ran from the Roosts across to Wilsons's main building. Two metal staircases soared upward, if they could be called staircases, for they were incredibly light and springy, and when Les grabbed the handrail, the whole thing flexed and bounced. Paying no attention to this, Les ascended at great speed. Dixie followed him. With a nervous glance up, Danny followed, trying not to look down, keeping his eyes fixed on the top of the stairs.
Despite the fact that the cadets' weight made the staircase writhe like a snake as they climbed, it felt more secure than it looked, but Danny was still glad to reach the top. He steadied himself against the rail and looked down. It was a long way to the ground.
"The Roosts used to be quarters for the Messengers," Vandra explained, "before they stopped flying."
Les opened the wooden door and Danny followed them in. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. On either side of the Roosts were rows of beds separated by wooden dividers, so that each bunk was almost in its own room. A large black stove glowed in the middle, surrounded by armchairs and an overstuffed sofa. "This is yours here," Les said, pointing to one of the beds. "You're down our end of the hut. Smyck's lot have the other end, so you're better off here."
"The other hut's for the girls," Dixie said. "Kind of cozy, don't you think?"
Danny sat down on his bed, noticing that his suitcase was already under it. For some reason that he could not
68
explain, the place already felt
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